Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-07-08
WASHINGTON LETTER,

eA OailiSio WIS expected III Washing
ton before this time, and good
many members of the House have
como here with the idea OF meeting
him. He is expected now in few
days, and his coming will bo the no.
tice for the arrival OF leading mem
bers on the Democratic side of the
House, who will meet him in confer,
ence here upon the revenue question.
They hope to mako general sound
ing OF the party at this conference,
or series of conferences to be held.
so as to come to some sort Of conclus.
ion as to what they will be able to do
i'll the way of reducing the revenue.
They will be met at the very entrance
upon the subject with the fact that
Mr.. Randall still occupies his old po-
sition, and that he has not been idle
the while. He has talked, one at q
time, with good many members of
Congress whose sections are dissat-
isfed with the internal-revenue sys
tom. 1t is thought that when the
conferences with Mr.. Carlisle are
held that there will be propositions,
coming from unexpected quarters,
having in view the repeal of the to
bacco tax, and sort of combination
internal revenue and tariff reduction.
There will be talk also of degrading
Mr.. Randall by dcpriving him of the
appropriations committee, and alto.
gether there will be number of diff
ferences to be rounded up. But these
conferences will be only preliminary
to party caucus, to be held about
tho time OF the meeting of Congress,
when the disposition of the majority
will be tested.
Yesterday was busy day ut the
Treasury Department. 1t was tho
last of the fiscal year, and they were
balancing their books and rounding
up their record preparatory to begin.
ming a new year today. Everybody
was busy, and many clerks wero anx
ious. On account of changes in the
appropriation bill number of EN-.
ployes have to be dropped, which
causes a little furry of excitement.
In the appointment division the
clerks were making out the lists OF
changes and adjusting the force to
the new bill.
In tho Treasurer's Office they were
closing out old books and bringing
the balances over. The receipts this
year have been largely in excess of
those for last year, and the new year
opens with the prospect of large nc.
emulation of surplus each month,
with The slight offset of $4,000, OOU
of per cent bonds to be redeemed
to-day, S12,O0O.OOO, about, for pen
sions. and slightly increased appro.
piiations. AT best, the surplus must
accumulate very rapidly between now
and December, unless tho Secretary
resorts to unusual means of putting
out the money. An increase in the
surplus of between S3O,0OO,OOO and
S50,000,0G0 by December is not m
extravagant estimate.
The special appointment by Presi.
dent Cleveland last week, during the
conference in Washington of local
civil service officers from the Leading
cities, to suggest notifications in the
rules, finished their work
in 1sX York Wednesday. 1t was dc
cided ncssa recommend any change
IN the form 6>splication by candi-
dates, but to recolss>spd that horcaf-
Ter all examination papers be marked
in Washington, and that the marking
be done by board of fifteen mem.
bers, made up MS follows: Ssven
chosen from the Departments of the
Government ut Washington, one each
from the custom houses and post. of.
fees of Now York and Boston, one
from Philadelphia custom-house, and
one each from the post Offices of Bal
timore, st. Louis and Chicago. The
object in view in having all examina
ton papers marked by the central
board is to do away with nil oppor-
tunity for suspicion of unfairness
such as obtains in certain localities
under the present local.board system .
and which tends to neutralize the eT
jects sought for under the civ;a 0o'
vice law. hl-ser-